Dell Optiplex 755 guest PC build

[Ckdota]

Hello everyone!

 

The local university dumped a crapload of old hardware and I scooped up a bunch of stuff  and I had tons of fun digging through this treasure trove of old hardware. (Even got a few macbooks!)

 

Anyways I have 6 dell optiplex 755s which are small form factor core2duo computers.

 

My idea for them is to gut the small form factor case and move them to full/mini atx tower cases (got a bunch of those too, here is an example), upgrade the CPU to a core2quad q6600 (around 15 bucks a pop).

 

I will have to find some hard drives (all hard drives were drilled for security reasons) and graphics cards for 4 of the 6 but the ideal build for my guest PC would look something like this:

 

 

CPU: Core 2 Quad q6600 2.4 ghz

Mobo: Dell OEM mobo meh

PSU: 350-400w from the atx/m-atx cases | sff PSU

Ram: 8 GB ddr2 667

Video card: AMD Radeon HD 7770 | AMD Radeon HD 5450 | Nvidia quadro K600 (got a lot of these but they are shitty for games)

Storage: Various 300+ GB hard drives

 

I should overclock the CPU using instructions from this video as an example. But I wouldnt feel comfortable doing this with the dell stock cooler and I should look into getting a new cooler (suggestions needed, has to be cheap to be in line with rest of the build)

 

I might have to modify the case(s) a bit to get better temperatures inside the case (Drilling holes in the top for a top fan, removing all CD drive covers and installing a fan+ mesh cover etc.) Suggestions also accepted for this.

 

Let me know what you guys think and make suggestions but please remember:

 

1: This is a for fun build and is intended for guests.

2: I do not intend on spending too much since this is a for fun build.

 

Hope everybody has a good new year!

 

CK

[Crunchy Dragon]

I wish my local universities did this...

 

Or maybe they do and I just don't hear about it...

[rcmaehl]

I personally got some 755's a while ago.

.

Throw a low profile 1050ti in it, max out the RAM, install a slightly better processor and tapemod it. You should try to get as high end of a CPU as possible as it'll be bottlenecking whatever gpu you put in it regardless and you'll want to minimize this.
 

Additionally if your's is the small form factor, you can order one of these to add in an additional HDD

[ProjectBox153]

Just a warning, those 755s (and a lot more of the OptiPlex machines) used a BTX form factor. Unless the HP Compaq case is also a BTX form factor, you won't be able to move those motherboards. I know from experience. I know way too much about my Dell OptiPlex machines.

[Ckdota]

20 minutes ago, rcmaehl said:

I personally got some 755's a while ago.

.

Throw a low profile 1050ti in it, max out the RAM, install a slightly better processor and tapemod it. You should try to get as high end of a CPU as possible as it'll be bottlenecking whatever gpu you put in it regardless and you'll want to minimize this.
 

Additionally if your's is the small form factor, you can order one of these to add in an additional HDD

 

In my original post I found a video with a software tweak that does the same thing (I think?) could you watch that and let me know if you would still recomend the BESEL mod?

27 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

I wish my local universities did this...

 

Or maybe they do and I just don't hear about it...

It was hard to miss for me they just had boxes in the hallway full of stuff in a 24/7 building. Came back to campus around 6 PM so I could dig distraction free and I even tested some parts right there in the hallway. 

 

2 minutes ago, Jamiec1130 said:

Just a warning, those 755s (and a lot more of the OptiPlex machines) used a BTX form factor. Unless the HP Compaq case is also a BTX form factor, you won't be able to move those motherboards. I know from experience. I know way too much about my Dell OptiPlex machines.

 

That would be a concern, I could always try to make a custom backplate if thats the case.

[rcmaehl]

10 minutes ago, Ckdota said:

In my original post I found a video with a software tweak that does the same thing (I think?) could you watch that and let me know if you would still recomend the BESEL mod?

Missed that, looks like someone made a software solution for this. Honestly, the software version should give you more fine control over the FSB speed and therefore more control over the overall overclock. I haven't tried the software myself but I'll pull my 775 out of the closet when I have the free time to test it out.

[Ckdota]

1 hour ago, Jamiec1130 said:

Just a warning, those 755s (and a lot more of the OptiPlex machines) used a BTX form factor. Unless the HP Compaq case is also a BTX form factor, you won't be able to move those motherboards. I know from experience. I know way too much about my Dell OptiPlex machines.

 

Might use a mac g4/g5 case which is btx.

[ProjectBox153]

10 hours ago, Ckdota said:

Might use a mac g4/g5 case which is btx.

How? Those aren't BTX. You have to get a custom mod (which is fairly expensive).

[Ckdota]

2 hours ago, Jamiec1130 said:

How? Those aren't BTX. You have to get a custom mod (which is fairly expensive).

It technically isnt BTX but the motherboard loads in upside down (PCIE slots are on the top vs on the bottom like a traditional ATX case) which would match with the dell motherboard. The only thing I would have to do from there is potentially gut the 5.5" bay so the motherboard has extra space. 

[ProjectBox153]

2 hours ago, Ckdota said:

It technically isnt BTX but the motherboard loads in upside down (PCIE slots are on the top vs on the bottom like a traditional ATX case) which would match with the dell motherboard. The only thing I would have to do from there is potentially gut the 5.5" bay so the motherboard has extra space. 

Even though it goes in the same way, it's not BTX. I have both machines, and I can tell you they're not the same.

[Ckdota]

4 hours ago, Jamiec1130 said:

Even though it goes in the same way, it's not BTX. I have both machines, and I can tell you they're not the same.

 

I understand it isnt the same but I am not shy about making it fit after the fact. For me it is important to get this computer out of the SFF case so I can fit a desktop graphics card and get a decent cooler so it can be overclock ready. Also before anybody answers about SFF video cards which do exist I would rather use the video card I previously had in my PC (Radeon HD 7970) or my brothers PC (Radeon HD 7770)

[ProjectBox153]

7 minutes ago, Ckdota said:

I understand it isnt the same but I am not shy about making it fit after the fact. For me it is important to get this computer out of the SFF case so I can fit a desktop graphics card and get a decent cooler so it can be overclock ready. Also before anybody answers about SFF video cards which do exist I would rather use the video card I previously had in my PC (Radeon HD 7970) or my brothers PC (Radeon HD 7770)

Why not modify a much easier to access (and objectively less valuable) cheap ATX case?

[SkilledRebuilds]

8 minutes ago, Ckdota said:

 

I understand it isnt the same but I am not shy about making it fit after the fact. For me it is important to get this computer out of the SFF case so I can fit a desktop graphics card and get a decent cooler so it can be overclock ready. Also before anybody answers about SFF video cards which do exist I would rather use the video card I previously had in my PC (Radeon HD 7970) or my brothers PC (Radeon HD 7770)

While your preference is totally up to you..

A GTX1050Ti (even SFF) will match your HD7970 in performance with less power usage by far... similar temps due to the SFF case (I did a project with this)

I added 5 small holes next to the GPU on the side panel. (Saves 5*c from Load temps)

But it will perform.

Again, your choice, but its not unfeasible.

[Ckdota]

56 minutes ago, Jamiec1130 said:

Why not modify a much easier to access (and objectively less valuable) cheap ATX case?

I could but I think I saw in the IT office of the university a stack of Mac g4s and a few g5s that could potentially end up in the bin. I might save the g5 case for a hackintosh build using a dual xeon build (not supposed to discuss specifics on here) but I am sure any ATX and most m-atx cases will fit the BTX motherboard after cutting out the 5.5" bay and adding a new backplate that extends into that area.

52 minutes ago, SkilledRebuilds said:

While your preference is totally up to you..

A GTX1050Ti (even SFF) will match your HD7970 in performance with less power usage by far... similar temps due to the SFF case (I did a project with this)

I added 5 small holes next to the GPU on the side panel. (Saves 5*c from Load temps)

But it will perform.

Again, your choice, but its not unfeasible.

I like your build it looks nice however I have a strict preference of not buying what I already have. A guest PC that only has to be powered on maybe twice a month at most doesnt need any new parts (aside from the ones I dont have like a stronger cooler).