What graphics card should I get for a Dell Optiplex 7020

[patrickfeeneytamayo]

GTX 1650 is perfect fit as there are tiny low profile ones and even without additional power connectors. amd counterparts are crap BS with pcie 4.0, so using 3.0 x8 or even x4 will result in a performance of 1050ti or even 1030 lmfao. then it's better to find 1050ti too, if it will be significally cheaper than 1650 which i suppose could be.

So you are saying that a 1650 would work without changing the psu?

Ok read this, to use a better gpu the power supply must be swapped, if you want to swap it, you may need to first compare the power connector to a Standard ATX 20+4 connector online and see if the wire colors match up, if not you might as well build a new system

To get a better gpu as in better than the intel hd one or better as in better than a gtx 1650? Here's a pic of the 'POWER' cable that connects into the motherboard. I've seen people using 24pin to 8pin adapters when changing the psu for this exact model.

Guys I think I'll just go for a 1660 with the stock psu. Wish me luck

 

[thewan]

for more reassurance, i found a youtube vid that shows someone installing an ATX PSU just fine.

 

[theFOoL]

Yeah I mean from the image's above It seems a regular size psu would fit fine but again I would not go and just tap in a gpu. It could fry your psu considering the specs only 290watt or so. Just oem companies and there ways of non regular plugs of a psu/motherboard

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

To recap: A 1650 is your best choice if you do not want to change out your PSU.

Otherwise, change out your PSU with a reliable branded one with your choice of videocard.

A 1070 would probably pair nicely with the CPU you have.


If you haven't already, DO A SSD SWAP. A SSD will do more for you than anything else. Trust me on this - I was using an HDD in my Optiplex. Even the cheapest BX500 or something like that will be a MASSIVE upgrade.

 

[Lew Zealand]

GTX 1650 is perfect fit as there are tiny low profile ones and even without additional power connectors. amd counterparts are crap BS with pcie 4.0, so using 3.0 x8 or even x4 will result in a performance of 1050ti or even 1030 lmfao. then it's better to find 1050ti too, if it will be significally cheaper than 1650 which i suppose could be.

The 6400 is much faster than the 1050 Ti in almost every game and in the 2 it isn't (Doom Eternal and something else), turning down the textures one notch solves that. Your 1030 comment is laughable and wrong. One of my 9020s has a 1050Ti in it, the other has a 6400 in it, it's pretty easy to do the comparos.

IMO the 1650 will not take full advantage of the 4790 but it all depends on how much the OP wants to spend. Right now the cheapest slot power 1650 G5 is $180 and G6 is $190. These are better than anything else slot-powered but with an added $50 PSU a $210 1660S or $260 6600 are the next step up and will match and overmatch the CPU, respectively.

Is $260 for PSU + 1660S worth it over $190 for the 1650 G6? IMO yes but maybe not for this old Optiplex unless forward-looking to a new PC.
Is $310 for PSU + 6600 worth it over $260 for the PSU + 1660S? Meh really not for this build, but again, if you're forward-looking...

_______________

So you are saying that a 1650 would work without changing the psu?

As other have said, yes. BUT! Make sure you get a 1650 that specifically claims no additional power cable needed, or is listed as Slot-Power Only. Asus Phoenix is one of these type.

To get a better gpu as in better than the intel hd one or better as in better than a gtx 1650?

Yes, way way better and faster. If your baseline gaming experience is the Intel HD, then the 1650 will be very satisfyingly faster.

Guys I think I'll just go for a 1660 with the stock psu. Wish me luck

Hoping that was just a typo. Get the 1650. Not 1650 Super, not 1660.

Geforce GTX 1650. Slot power only.

 

[AleXXX666]

The 6400 is much faster than the 1050 Ti in almost every game and in the 2 it isn't (Doom Eternal and something else), turning down the textures one notch solves that. Your 1030 comment is laughable and wrong. One of my 9020s has a 1050Ti in it, the other has a 6400 in it, it's pretty easy to do the comparos.

IMO the 1650 will not take full advantage of the 4790 but it all depends on how much the OP wants to spend. Right now the cheapest slot power 1650 G5 is $180 and G6 is $190. These are better than anything else slot-powered but with an added $50 PSU a $210 1660S or $260 6600 are the next step up and will match and overmatch the CPU, respectively.

Is $260 for PSU + 1660S worth it over $190 for the 1650 G6? IMO yes but maybe not for this old Optiplex unless forward-looking to a new PC.
Is $310 for PSU + 6600 worth it over $260 for the PSU + 1660S? Meh really not for this build, but again, if you're forward-looking...

_______________


As other have said, yes. BUT! Make sure you get a 1650 that specifically claims no additional power cable needed, or is listed as Slot-Power Only. Asus Phoenix is one of these type.



Yes, way way better and faster. If your baseline gaming experience is the Intel HD, then the 1650 will be very satisfyingly faster.



Hoping that was just a typo. Get the 1650. Not 1650 Super, not 1660.

Geforce GTX 1650. Slot power only.

1650 is best deal.
no need to "look forward", solder or modify psu. it's better to look forward without modifying something, as with ssd for example. but, instead of soldering, i'd consider OP a alternative straight solution: purchase separate good enough PSU which you'd use on your "future" pc, normal atx one. then get a GPU which could fit into your baby optiplex, even with case opened. run that extra pci-e connector for gpu off the separate psu. then you won't need to solder something. well, that's me.

as i said, amd 6000 series same as 5000 series need pci-e 4.0; and in low segment they have x8 or crappy x4 lanes. run it at pcie 3.0 and enjoy the big bottleneck. i've had 5500xt paired with pci-e 3.0. performance was way sh!tter than on my friend's system with pcie 4.0.

 

[Shrek]

I think I'll just go for a 1660 with the stock psu. Wish me luck

I believe a 365W supply is available for that Dell

 

[Lew Zealand]

1650 is best deal.

I agree, the easiest and best solution seeing as he's upgrading from an Intel iGPU.

as i said, amd 6000 series same as 5000 series need pci-e 4.0; and in low segment they have x8 or crappy x4 lanes. run it at pcie 3.0 and enjoy the big bottleneck. i've had 5500xt paired with pci-e 3.0. performance was way sh!tter than on my friend's system with pcie 4.0.

I run a 5600XT and 6600XT on PCIe 3.0 at 1440p and the "bottleneck" is 1.2%. So not a bottleneck at all, see TPU's tests here:

Same goes for the 5600XT. Maybe the 6GB and 8GB makes a difference and your friend has the 4GB version? I seem to remember that the 8GB 5500XT was mostly unaffected by PCIe 3.0 where the 4GB version had some slowdowns (not tested at TPU? oh well...). But I wonder whether those happen at regular Med/Hi settings for these cards (where people play to get good 1080p framerates) as opposed to the Ultra setting that sites use for standardized testing.

I also use the 6400 on the Dell 9020 at PCIe 3.0 and have seen no slowdowns or issues that make me want to swap it out for the 1050 Ti. I was pretty much expecting it to be similar to the 1050 Ti but the 6400 has noticeably exceeded the 1050 Ti in every game I've tested. I do have Doom Eternal but I'm not playing it yet (still haven't finished 2016 Doom...). I should install and start it to see under what conditions it's faster and slower as I don't remember seeing anyone test DE on the 6400 in PCIe 3 with lower texture settings. A single game, though.

 

[eidairaman1]

idk if its all 12v and it doesn't have a 6 pin. I could get an adapter tho.
So you think it would be possible or would I 100% need to change the psu?

@joemama @outpt @theFOoL @GhostRyder @eidairaman1 @Count von Schwalbe @budget_Optiplex @Lew Zealand
Here is a picture with the sizes. Hope it's enough.
View attachment 257538
There are only 2 cables coming out of the PSU. One that is an 8pin that power the motherboard I think and the other one is a 4 pin that powers the CPU I think. It's a 290watt power supply.
Here is a picture with it's specs.
View attachment 257539
I know that if I change the psu with a 'normal' one I would need to buy an adapter.
If it's possible, I would prefer to not change the PSU and just buy a gpu and a sata to 6 pin adapter to spend the least amount of money.
But if it's not possible I'm fine with buying a psu too.

You need a better psu

 

[patrickfeeneytamayo]

To recap: A 1650 is your best choice if you do not want to change out your PSU.

Otherwise, change out your PSU with a reliable branded one with your choice of videocard.

A 1070 would probably pair nicely with the CPU you have.


If you haven't already, DO A SSD SWAP. A SSD will do more for you than anything else. Trust me on this - I was using an HDD in my Optiplex. Even the cheapest BX500 or something like that will be a MASSIVE upgrade.

Thanks. It already had a 500gb sata ssd. I added another one that I had too.

 

[Chrispy_]

If you're on a budget, pick up a used RX 570 8GB on ebay for $100. Newer budget cards have cut-down PCIe lanes and suffer when you put them in an older PCIe 2.0 or PCIe 3.0 motherboard. An RX570 uses under 150W and typically requires just a single PCIe power connector.

If you want a new card, the RX 6600 (non-XT) is a good option but a bit expensive. You can also find deals on new 1660 Supers, and they're a decent match for an old 4th Gen Intel and shitty Dell motherboard.

I've upgraded a fair few Dells and the rule of thumb is to leave the PSU and motherboard well alone. You're stuck with what you have, so the graphics card you buy should be compatible with the number of PCIe 6-pin and/or 8-pin connectors you have. The Dell PSUs are typically good quality and fairly efficient but not powerful units. If they don't have the correct PCIe connectors for the card you want, you shouldn't really be converting other SATA/Molex cables into PCIe connectors with adapters - the rails simply aren't strong enough for it to be a good option.

 

[patrickfeeneytamayo]

The 6400 is much faster than the 1050 Ti in almost every game and in the 2 it isn't (Doom Eternal and something else), turning down the textures one notch solves that. Your 1030 comment is laughable and wrong. One of my 9020s has a 1050Ti in it, the other has a 6400 in it, it's pretty easy to do the comparos.

IMO the 1650 will not take full advantage of the 4790 but it all depends on how much the OP wants to spend. Right now the cheapest slot power 1650 G5 is $180 and G6 is $190. These are better than anything else slot-powered but with an added $50 PSU a $210 1660S or $260 6600 are the next step up and will match and overmatch the CPU, respectively.

Is $260 for PSU + 1660S worth it over $190 for the 1650 G6? IMO yes but maybe not for this old Optiplex unless forward-looking to a new PC.
Is $310 for PSU + 6600 worth it over $260 for the PSU + 1660S? Meh really not for this build, but again, if you're forward-looking...

_______________


As other have said, yes. BUT! Make sure you get a 1650 that specifically claims no additional power cable needed, or is listed as Slot-Power Only. Asus Phoenix is one of these type.



Yes, way way better and faster. If your baseline gaming experience is the Intel HD, then the 1650 will be very satisfyingly faster.



Hoping that was just a typo. Get the 1650. Not 1650 Super, not 1660.

Geforce GTX 1650. Slot power only.

Ok so I will try to find a psu and a 1660 super. I don't think I'll be able to find a new psu for $50. I live in Ireland by the way. And the 1660s would be second hand I suppose.

1650 is best deal.
no need to "look forward", solder or modify psu. it's better to look forward without modifying something, as with ssd for example. but, instead of soldering, i'd consider OP a alternative straight solution: purchase separate good enough PSU which you'd use on your "future" pc, normal atx one. then get a GPU which could fit into your baby optiplex, even with case opened. run that extra pci-e connector for gpu off the separate psu. then you won't need to solder something. well, that's me.

as i said, amd 6000 series same as 5000 series need pci-e 4.0; and in low segment they have x8 or crappy x4 lanes. run it at pcie 3.0 and enjoy the big bottleneck. i've had 5500xt paired with pci-e 3.0. performance was way sh!tter than on my friend's system with pcie 4.0.

Yeah I won't want to solder anything on the pc. I wouldn't modify the psu. If I get a 'normal' psu I would buy a 24pin to 8pin adapter.
Cheers

I believe a 365W supply is available for that Dell

Yeah I've heard about them but if I'm buying another psu it would be best to get a normal one I suppose.
Thanks

I agree, the easiest and best solution seeing as he's upgrading from an Intel iGPU.



I run a 5600XT and 6600XT on PCIe 3.0 at 1440p and the "bottleneck" is 1.2%. So not a bottleneck at all, see TPU's tests here:

Same goes for the 5600XT. Maybe the 6GB and 8GB makes a difference and your friend has the 4GB version? I seem to remember that the 8GB 5500XT was mostly unaffected by PCIe 3.0 where the 4GB version had some slowdowns (not tested at TPU? oh well...). But I wonder whether those happen at regular Med/Hi settings for these cards (where people play to get good 1080p framerates) as opposed to the Ultra setting that sites use for standardized testing.

I also use the 6400 on the Dell 9020 at PCIe 3.0 and have seen no slowdowns or issues that make me want to swap it out for the 1050 Ti. I was pretty much expecting it to be similar to the 1050 Ti but the 6400 has noticeably exceeded the 1050 Ti in every game I've tested. I do have Doom Eternal but I'm not playing it yet (still haven't finished 2016 Doom...). I should install and start it to see under what conditions it's faster and slower as I don't remember seeing anyone test DE on the 6400 in PCIe 3 with lower texture settings. A single game, though.

I really think that the 6600xt is way too much for this cpu. I know it's a really good card for it's price but I feel that it's a bit too much. I'll take a look at the 5600xt.
I think the 6400 doesn't have encoder. I would like to have encoder for streaming.

If you're on a budget, pick up a used RX 570 8GB on ebay for $100. Newer budget cards have cut-down PCIe lanes and suffer when you put them in an older PCIe 2.0 or PCIe 3.0 motherboard. An RX570 uses under 150W and typically requires just a single PCIe power connector.

If you want a new card, the RX 6600 (non-XT) is a good option but a bit expensive. You can also find deals on new 1660 Supers, and they're a decent match for an old 4th Gen Intel and shitty Dell motherboard.

I've upgraded a fair few Dells and the rule of thumb is to leave the PSU and motherboard well alone. You're stuck with what you have, so the graphics card you buy should be compatible with the number of PCIe 6-pin and/or 8-pin connectors you have. The Dell PSUs are typically good quality and fairly efficient but not powerful units. If they don't have the correct PCIe connectors for the card you want, you shouldn't really be converting other SATA/Molex cables into PCIe connectors with adapters - the rails simply aren't strong enough for it to be a good option.

I don't mind buying second hand. Isn't 150w waaaaay too much for this build? Like the psu is only 290w.
The psu that I got has no 6pin or 8pin.
Thanks for the suggestion about the sata lanes.
Cheers

Are these good psus? I'm in Ireland by the way.
Corsair CV550, CV Series, 80 PLUS Bronze Certified, 550 Watt Non-Modular Power Supply - Black : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
EVGA 650 BR Power Supply, 80+ BRONZE 650W, 3 Year Warranty : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Evga 600 W1, 80+ White 600W, Power Supply 100-W1-0600-K3, Black : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Aerocool Aero White 500 80 PLUS Netzteil - 500 Watt (caseking.de)

 

[Chrispy_]

The psu that I got has no 6pin or 8pin.

Bugger.
6500XT or 1650 are your best (not very good) options.

If you need more graphics power than that your best bet is to just completely scrap the irritatingly-proprietary Dell Case/PSU/Motherboard and buy a complete used system off ebay that doeesn't use proprietary parts; You'll be able to find an HP/Lenovo refurb with most likely 8th/9th/10th Gen Intel, DDR4, SSD, proper PSU and ATX case for like £150.

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

Bugger.
6500XT or 1650 are your best (not very good) options.

If you need more graphics power than that your best bet is to just completely scrap the irritatingly-proprietary Dell Case/PSU/Motherboard and buy a complete used system off ebay that doeesn't use proprietary parts; You'll be able to find an HP/Lenovo refurb with most likely 8th/9th/10th Gen Intel, DDR4, SSD, proper PSU and ATX case for like £150.

The adapters are relatively common and often used for situations like this. I reckon his system will work, if he replaces PSU and gets a GPU.

 

[eidairaman1]

Ok so I will try to find a psu and a 1660 super. I don't think I'll be able to find a new psu for $50. I live in Ireland by the way. And the 1660s would be second hand I suppose.


Yeah I won't want to solder anything on the pc. I wouldn't modify the psu. If I get a 'normal' psu I would buy a 24pin to 8pin adapter.
Cheers


Yeah I've heard about them but if I'm buying another psu it would be best to get a normal one I suppose.
Thanks


I really think that the 6600xt is way too much for this cpu. I know it's a really good card for it's price but I feel that it's a bit too much. I'll take a look at the 5600xt.
I think the 6400 doesn't have encoder. I would like to have encoder for streaming.


I don't mind buying second hand. Isn't 150w waaaaay too much for this build? Like the psu is only 290w.
The psu that I got has no 6pin or 8pin.
Thanks for the suggestion about the sata lanes.
Cheers

Are these good psus? I'm in Ireland by the way.
Corsair CV550, CV Series, 80 PLUS Bronze Certified, 550 Watt Non-Modular Power Supply - Black : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
EVGA 650 BR Power Supply, 80+ BRONZE 650W, 3 Year Warranty : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Evga 600 W1, 80+ White 600W, Power Supply 100-W1-0600-K3, Black : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Aerocool Aero White 500 80 PLUS Netzteil - 500 Watt (caseking.de)

Stay away from corsair cv, cs, cx, vs, vx

 

[patrickfeeneytamayo]

Stay away from corsair cv, cs, cx, vs, vx

Ok thanks

 

[eidairaman1]

Go with evga, and save up for a gpu

 

[patrickfeeneytamayo]

Go with evga, and save up for a gpu

Ok I'll see we what I can get.

 

[eidairaman1]

Ok I'll see we what I can get.

In 2014 i had to save up and buy 1-2 parts at a time

 

[Shrek]

I'm right there with you guys, and still running a Core 2 machine as my main work horse; not complaining as it works well enough.

 

[patrickfeeneytamayo]

In 2014 i had to save up and buy 1-2 parts at a time

Ok man thanks.
So I'll buy a psu, 24pin to 8pin and gpu.

I'm right there with you guys, and still running a Core 2 machine as my main work horse; not complaining as it works well enough.

That mustn't be very nice.
Good luck with your future builds

 

[Shrek]

8 pin Molex, so 4 x 9A x 12V = 432W; have I done the calculation right?

The Core 2 is a blast; it runs fast and teaches me a bundle.

 

[patrickfeeneytamayo]

8 pin Molex, so 4 x 8.5A x 12V = 408W

Have I done the calculation right?

What do you mean?
I'll get a 550 psu

 

[Shrek]

I mean the 8 pin connector maxes out at 432W (if I got the calculation right)

 

[patrickfeeneytamayo]

I mean the 8 pin connector maxes out at 432W (if I got the calculation right)

Sorry but what's your point then?