Can you upgrade Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower to play games?
Yes, you can upgrade Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower for gaming with better processors, graphics card, memory, and storage devices.However, like many other business pre-built PCs, this model may have proprietary elements like the power supply, the chassis or the power connector, which can make it difficult for usersto install aftermarket PSUs to support better GPUs. You can also find that there is space constrains inside the chassis, making it difficult to accommodete larger GPU to boost the gaming performance.
Please explore the sections bellow to find ideas and suggestions on how to upgrade Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower.
Windows 11 compatibility
Yes, Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower is compatible with Windows 11. According to Windows 11 specification, all models that have Intel 8th Gen processors (or newer) with TPM 2.0 support and a UEFI BIOS with Secure boot, are eligible to upgrade form Windows 10 to Windows 11 through Windows Update.
GPU upgrade
You can upgrade Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower with a full size GPU. Models like NVIDIA GTX 1660 or GTX 1650 Super are good and safe upgrade option and will work with most Mini Tower form factor.However, keep in mind that the type of GPU you can install will depend on the available space in the chassis and the PSU power rating.
Before you begin shopping for a new GPU, it's important to consider the power supply unit (PSU) currently installed. This is because powerful GPUs require more power than the stock PSU can provide, which means that youmay need to upgrade your PSU as well.
According to the manual, the maximum stock power supply available on Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower is 500W.However, to be absolutely sure, check the stock power supply power rating and use one of the GPUs from the table.
GPU upgrade options for Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower with the stock 500W power supply:
| GPU | Power consumption | Memory | Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMD RX 6600 | 160 W | 8 GB DDR6 | *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter |
| NVIDIA RTX 2060 | 170 W | 6 GB DDR6 | *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter |
| AMD RX 6600 XT | 165 W | 8 GB DDR6 | *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter |
| NVIDIA RTX 2070 | 175 W | 8 GB DDR6 | *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter |
| NVIDIA RTX 3060 | 170 W | 8 GB DDR6 | *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter |
| NVIDIA RTX 2070 Super | 215 W | 8 GB DDR6 | *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter |
| NVIDIA RTX 2080 | 220 W | 8 GB DDR6 | *Dual SATA to PCIe adapter |
*Typically, the stock power supply in a business PC does not have the necessary 6 or 8 pin connectors to power the GPU. In such cases, you may need to use a low-power GPU or aSATA to PCIe power adapter. Alternatively, you can change the entire PSU.
Processor
The Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower supports Gen12 Intel Core technology. The 12th generation Intel Core processors were released in 2022. Named Alder Lake they use a hybrid between the Golden Cove and Gracemont architecture. The main differences to the previous generation, is the support for both DDR4-3200 and DDR5-4800 memory. The 12th gen comes with support for the new PCIe 5.0 bus, potentially increasing the bandwidth two times compared to the PCIe 4.0.
Best CPUs for Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower upgrade:
| Model | Cores (Threads) | Base frequency | Turbo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core i5 12500 | 6(12) | 3.0 GHz | 4.6 GHz |
| Core i5 12600 | 6(12) | 3.3 GHz | 4.8 GHz |
| Core i7 12700 | 8(16) | 2.1 GHz | 4.9 GHz |
| Core i7 12700F | 8(16) | 2.1 GHz | 4.9 GHz |
| Core i9 12900 | 8(16) | 2.4 GHz | 5.1 GHz |
| Core i9 12900F | 8(16) | 2.4 GHz | 5.1 GHz |
Memory
Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower has four RAM slots and supports dual channel memory configuration. This is sufficient for almost any use case and especially in situations where the workload calls for more RAM.
To cover the needs of your OS, games, and apps, Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower supports up to 128 GB of DIMM DDR5-3600/4000/4400 RAM. For office work, home use, and light gaming we recommend 8GB of RAM. For everything else, use 16GB or more.
Faster RAM speeds permit your processor to access the data stored inside the memory faster. This is important for the overall speed of your system. The motherboard of the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower supports RAM speeds of up to 4400 MT/s.
Wi-Fi Support
Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo card with the on-board M.2 2230 (Wi-Fi/BT) slot. The card contains a Wi-Fi module that supports various Wi-Fi standards, as well as aBluetooth module. It is small circuit board that is designed to fit into a dedicated slot on the motherboard.
Keep in mind that the card is not always included and you have to install one yourself.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless adapter upgrades for Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower:
| Model | Speed | Frequency | Interface |
|---|---|---|---|
| WiFi 6E (Gig+) Kit | 3000 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz / 5GHz | NGFF M.2 A/E Key |
| Rekong AX210 | 3000 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz / 5GHz | NGFF M.2 A/E Key |
| Gigabyte GC-Wbax200 | 2400 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz / 5GHz | PCIe |
| TP-Link Archer TX50E | 2400 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz / 5GHz | PCIe |
| TP-Link Archer T9UH | 1300 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz / 5GHz | USB 3.0 |
Ports
Ports are important and often people don't think about them when buying a PC. For example, if you don't have enough USB ports, using external devices becomes problematic. Before you buy any system, considering your use case, check the number of external devices you are going to use and plan the number of the extension ports accordingly.
USB ports
The Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower comes with ten USB ports in total. Having more USB ports is always better, but also pay attention to the version of those USB ports. Higher version ports support faster transfer speeds. It is nice to see that the model has a USB 3.1 port. This interface is using 10Gb/s connection and it's very useful when you transfer big files to external drives.
Video ports
The DisplayPort (DP) is the most widely used digital interface for transmitting digital video and audio between display devices and PCs. It is good to see that the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower is featuring a DisplayPort 1.4a. The post version is important if you target higher resolutions with high refresh rate. Although, ver. 1.2 is completely fine for most users, if possible, aim for the higher versions DisplayPort.
The HDMI port is another digital video port you can use to connect external display. It has very similar capabilities to the DisplayPort with few exceptions. However, the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower doesn't have one. This is not a problem if there is on-board DisplayPort.
*Please keep in mind in order to use the video ports available through the motherboard, you need a CPU with integrated graphics card. If you have a dedicated GPU, use his ports instead.
SSD storage - M.2 sockets and SATA ports
The SATA port is one of the places where you can connect a stora gedevice. The Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower comes with four SATA port(s). Not enough SATA ports might limit your options for additional storage devices. Think about your use case and decide if the SATA ports provided by this model will be sufficient.
Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower has also three M.2 socket(s) that supports both PCIe NVMe (PCIe 4.0 x4) and SATA M.2 drives with speed of up to 8 GB/s. Currently this is one of the fastest commercially available versions of the PCIe bus (second to PCIe 5.0), making this configurationperefect for both gaming and work related tasks.
The M.2 PCIe SSD connector in combination with an NVMe drive allows for higher transfer rates, compared to the old SATA interface. In some situations, NVMe device connected to the M.2 PCIe socket can be more than 5 times faster.
Best PCIe NVMe drives for Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower storage upgrade:
| Model | Form factor / Interface | NAND type | DRAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 980 PRO SSD | M.2/x4 PCIe 4.0/NVMe | TLC | Yes |
| CORSAIR MP600 PRO | M.2/x4 PCIe 4.0/NVMe | TLC | Yes |
| SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus | M.2/x4 PCIe 3.0/NVMe | TLC | Yes |
| Western Digital Black SN770 | M.2/x4 PCIe 4.0/NVMe | TLC | Yes |
| Kingston A2000 | M.2/x4 PCIe 3.0/NVMe | TLC | Yes |
Power Supply
The Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower comes with a 500 Watt PSU. Having a power supply with high power rating is important, especially if you are doing upgrade with addtional components, like dedicated GPU and more HDDs. Will this 500 W be enough, it all depends on your specific use. Please keep in mind that some models might have more than one PSU option. Whenever possible get the most powerful one, as it might make future upgrades easier.
